Marines fire commander of Osprey squadron

ROBERT BURNSAP Military Writer

Published Friday, January 19, 2001

WASHINGTON -- A Marine Corps officer was relieved of duty as commander of the only V-22 Osprey training squadron Thursday after being accused anonymously of ordering the falsification of the aircraft's maintenance records.

In announcing the allegations and the action against Lt. Col. Odin Fred Leberman, the Marine Corps said ''at this point'' it believes there is no connection between the alleged falsification of records and the causes of two Osprey crashes last year that killed 23 Marines.

''There is nothing in these allegations, even if substantiated, that would have affected the safety of the aircraft,'' said Maj. Patrick Gibbons, a spokesman at Marine Corps headquarters in the Pentagon.

Gibbons said he could not be more specific because he had not been informed of the exact allegations.

''In a general way, they (falsifications) were made to put the aircraft in a better light,'' Gibbons said.

Leberman, 45, had commanded the training squadron at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., since June 1999.

The Marines also said the service's inspector general, Brig. Gen. Timothy Ghormley, arrived at New River on Thursday with an eight-person investigating team to interview all 241 members of the squadron. Gibbons said Leberman is the subject of the investigation, but ''they are going to take a very detailed look at the entire squadron.''

The Osprey, which uses tilt-rotor technology to take off and land like a helicopter and fly like an airplane, has come under intense fire from critics, including some members of Congress, since one crashed last April in Arizona, killing all 19 Marines aboard. Investigators blamed it on human error. On Dec. 11, another Osprey crashed in North Carolina, killing four Marines. That crash is under investigation.

Both Ospreys were part of Leberman's squadron. Gibbons said families of the victims of both crashes have been briefed on the allegations against Leberman and the inspector general's investigation.

After the latest crash, the Pentagon suspended Osprey flights and is reviewing the entire program.

In a statement released Thursday, the Pentagon said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Jones ordered an inspector general investigation of the allegations, which were received anonymously in the office of the secretary of the Navy in the form of a letter and an audio tape. Gibbons, the Marine spokesman, said the tape contains a recording of Leberman's voice, but he had no other details.

Gibbons said he did not know whether the allegations were made by a Marine. He said he could not release copies of either the letter or the audio tape because they are evidence in the investigation.

CBS ''Evening News'' reported Thursday that it had obtained a copy of the tape, and that on it Leberman told his squadron members to ''continue to lie -- his words'' about Osprey maintenance problems and the aircraft's readiness for flight. CBS said the tape was made Dec. 29 at New River.

CBS did not air the audio tape but said it would have more to report on the story on ''60 Minutes'' on Sunday.

Based on a preliminary review of the materials, Maj. Gen. Dennis Krupp, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, relieved Leberman of his duties Thursday. Gibbons said Leberman has not yet been reassigned.

Repeated calls to New River, where Leberman is based, to seek comment from him were not immediately returned. Gibbons said he did not know whether Leberman disputes the allegations against him.

Leberman spoke at a memorial Dec. 15 for the four Marines who died in the crash near Jacksonville, N.C., saying each victim contributed to developing the Osprey.

''They were all patriots of their country,'' Leberman said. ''They have done the hard job their country has asked them to do.''

The tilt-rotor Osprey is built by Boeing Co. and Bell Helicopter Textron. It is a linchpin of the Marine Corps' aviation future because the aircraft is meant to replace a fleet of aging Vietnam-era helicopters. The Air Force also plans to buy 50 of the aircraft, which have the potential to be adapted for a wide variety of missions.